Audi cuts diesel engine from 2017 A4 lineup

For the time being, North America won't see a diesel-powered 2017 Audi A4

We were on track to see a couple of new powertrains under the 2017 Audi A4‘s redesigned sheet metal, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore – the diesel-powered A4 is no longer destined for North America.

“The marketplace speaks, we listen to the marketplace and the marketplace told us, ‘Go with SUVs,'” he said.

In the U.S., the first half of 2015 saw Q5 and Q7 TDI demand punch in at 12 and 22 per cent, while TDIs made up anywhere between 6 to 8 per cent of A6, A7 and A8 sales.

Of course, the emissions scandal might indeed have an effect on demand; Volkswagen has paused sales on all TDIs in North America, including Audi’s models. That being said, it’s working to get the vehicles the correct approvals to resume sales.

“We will get the cars certified and we would have brought [the A4 diesel] if there was enough demand,” Keogh said. “Every decision is a blend of a lot of things, but I think the predominant thing is there was not significant market demand for the TDI sedans we had in the marketplace, A3, A6, A7 [and] A8.”